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Steven F. Hayward, Pepperdine University This lecture is
part of Hillsdale College's 2014 CCA series. Published on Nov 11,
2014. To learn more about Hillsdale College and the CCA programs,
visit
http://www.hillsdale.edu/outreach/cca

Founded in 1844, Hillsdale College is an independent,
coeducational, residential, liberal arts college with a student
body of about 1,400. Its four-year curriculum leads to the bachelor
of arts or bachelor of science degree, and it is accredited by the
Higher Learning Commission.

Hillsdale’s educational mission rests upon two
principles: academic excellence and institutional independence. The
College does not accept federal or state taxpayer subsidies for any
of its operations.

This twelve-lesson course explains the principles
underlying the American founding as set forth in the Declaration of
Independence and secured by the Constitution. The Founders believed
that the principles in these documents were not simply preferences
for their own day, but were truths that the sovereign and moral
people of America could always rely on as guides in their pursuit
of happiness through ordered liberty.

The Western theological tradition stretches back
thousands of years to the time of the ancient Hebrews. This
tradition has had a profound impact on the development of Western
Civilization as a whole. This course will consider the origins and
development of Western religious theology from the Old Testament
through the twentieth century.

On July 4, 1776, America—acting under the authority of
“the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God”—declared its independence
from Great Britain. The new nation, founded on the principle that
“all Men are created equal,” eventually grew to become the most
prosperous and powerful nation in the world. This course will
consider the history of America from the colonial era to the
present, including major challenges to the Founders’
principles.

Article III of the U.S. Constitution vests the judicial
power “in one supreme Court, and in such inferior Courts as the
Congress may from time to time ordain and establish.” According
to Federalist 78, the judicial branch “will
always be the least dangerous” to the liberty of the American
people. Yet, judicial decisions have done much to advance a
Progressive agenda that poses a fundamental threat to liberty. This
course will consider several landmark Supreme Court cases in
relation to the Founders’ Constitution.

One of the world’s greatest poets, William Shakespeare
is the author of plays that have been read and performed for more
than 400 years. A close study of his works reveals timeless lessons
about human nature, which offer a mirror for examining one’s own
character. In Hamlet and The
Tempest, Shakespeare considers those virtues and vices that
make self-government and statesmanship possible or impossible to
achieve.

The American Founders wrote a Constitution that
established a government limited in size and scope, whose central
purpose was to secure the natural rights of all Americans. By
contrast, early Progressives rejected the notion of fixed limits on
government, and their political descendants continue today to seek
an ever-larger role for the federal bureaucracy in American life.
In light of this fundamental and ongoing disagreement over the
purpose of government, this course will consider contemporary
public policy issues from a constitutional viewpoint.

A study of the ancient Greek cities of Athens and Sparta
is essential for understanding the beginning of the story of
Western Civilization. Moreover, such a study reveals timeless
truths about the human condition that are applicable in any age.
This course will consider life and government in Athens and Sparta,
examine their respective roles in the Persian and Peloponnesian
Wars, and offer some conclusions regarding their continuing
relevance.

C.S. Lewis was the greatest Christian apologist of the
twentieth century. He was also the author of works of fiction,
including the Chronicles of Narnia, and of
philosophy, including The Abolition of Man. This
course will consider Lewis’s apologetics and his fiction, as well
as his philosophical and literary writings, and their continuing
significance today.

Winston Churchill was the greatest statesman of the 20th
century, and one of the greatest in all of history. From a young
age, Churchill understood the unique dangers of modern warfare, and
he worked to respond to them. Though best known for his leadership
during World War II, he was also a great defender of
constitutionalism. A close study of Churchill’s words and deeds
offers timeless lessons about the virtues, especially prudence,
required for great statesmanship.

Written between October 1787 and August
1788, The Federalist Papers is a collection of
newspaper essays written in defense of the Constitution. Writing
under the penname Publius, Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and
John Jay explain the merits of the proposed Constitution, while
confronting objections raised by its opponents. Thomas Jefferson
described the work as “the best commentary on the principles of
government, which ever was written.” This course will explore major
themes of The Federalist Papers, such as the problem
of majority faction, separation of powers, and the three branches
of government.

The American Founders recognized the central importance
of education for the inculcation of the kind of knowledge and
character that is essential to the maintenance of free government.
For example, the Northwest Ordinance of
1787 states, “Religion, morality, and knowledge, being
necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind, schools
and the means of education shall forever be encouraged.” This
course will consider the older understanding of the purpose of
education, the more recent Progressive approach that has become
dominant today, and some essential elements of K-12
education.

This free, 10-week, not-for-credit course, taught by the
Hillsdale College politics faculty, will help you understand the
structure and function of executive power in the American
constitutional order. The course begins with the place of the
president in the constitutionalism of the Founding Fathers and
examines how that role has changed with the rise of the modern
Progressive administrative state.

This 11-week, not-for-credit course, taught by Hillsdale
College faculty, will introduce you to great books from the
Renaissance through the modern era. You will explore the writings
of Shakespeare, Dostoevsky, Austen, Twain, and more. This course
will challenge you to seek timeless lessons regarding human nature,
virtue, self-government, and liberty in the pages of the great
books.

Taught by the Hillsdale College Politics faculty, this
course will introduce you to the meaning and history of the United
States Constitution. The course will examine a number of original
source documents from the Founding period, including especially the
Declaration of Independence and The Federalist
Papers. The course will also consider two significant
challenges to the Founders’ Constitution: the institution of
slavery and the rise of Progressivism.

This 11-week, not-for-credit course, taught by Hillsdale
College faculty, will introduce you to great books from antiquity
to the medieval period. You will explore the writings of Homer, St.
Augustine, Dante, and more. This course will challenge you to seek
timeless lessons regarding human nature, virtue, self-government,
and liberty in the pages of the great books.

This is a free, ten-week, not-for-credit online course
offered by Hillsdale College. With introductory and concluding
lectures by Hillsdale College President Larry P. Arnn, the
eight lectures at its core—taught by Gary Wolfram, the William E.
Simon Professor of Economics and Public Policy at Hillsdale
College—will focus on the foundational principles of the free
market. Topics will include the relationship of supply and demand,
the “information problem” behind the failure of central planning,
the rise of macroeconomics under the influence of John
Maynard Keynes, and the 2008 financial crisis.

This is a free, ten-week, not-for-credit online course
offered by Hillsdale College. With an introductory lecture by
Hillsdale College President Larry P. Arnn, the nine
lectures—by members of Hillsdale College's history department
faculty—will focus on key aspects of the beginning of Western
civilization and its Greco-Roman, Judeo-Christian
heritage.

This is a free, ten-week, not-for-credit
online course offered by Hillsdale College. With
introductory and concluding lectures by Hillsdale College President
Larry P. Arnn, the nine lectures—taught by members of
Hillsdale College's politics department faculty—are a continuation
of Constitution 101 (2012): The Meaning & History of the
Constitution. These lectures will focus on the importance of the
principles of the American Founding and the current assault on them
by the Progressives.

Imprimis is the free monthly speech digest of Hillsdale
College. The content of Imprimis is drawn from speeches
delivered to Hillsdale College-hosted events. First published in
1972, Imprimis is one of the most widely circulated opinion
publications in the nation with over 3.6 million
subscribers.

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